SAUSAGE = MEAT PERFECTED
The story of the sausage is a humble one. Sausages were
originally created as a means to expand the useful portions
of an animal. In the days before refrigeration, easy
transportation, and canned dog food, when an animal was
slaughtered, it was essential that none of it went to waste.
People discovered that by chopping up the less desirable
parts of the animal, adding salt to them, and stuffing them
into various other bits of the animal (say, the intestine or
stomach), they could create a food that not only lasted
longer than fresh meat but also was in fact quite tasty in its
own way. Thus sausages were born. As with many other
foods—like duck confit, fruit jams, or beef jerky—what was
once a means of preservation, an act of necessity, is still
practiced today because the end result is so freaking
delicious.
I mean, is there anything more humble yet so perfect as a
well-made sausage? Evolution has done a pretty darn good
job of producing delicious hunks of meat for us to enjoy,
but with the sausage, we do Mother Nature one better: the
right fat content, the right sodium content, proper seasoning,
and perfect texture are built right in. How many pork chops
can claim that? And to think that sausages are also one of
the most inexpensive forms of meat on the market!
Thing is, most people are familiar only with store-bought
sausages or, if they’re lucky, those made by a good local
butcher. And many of these can be quite good. Even some
nationally available brands do decent work. But the real joy
of sausages is their completely customizable nature. Who
says that sweet and hot Italian are the only types worth